WELL, it's back to the sun, and back to `work' out in Perth, as I flew back with the newest local recruit for the Auscricket Management scheme, James Hamblin.

It is the first time that `Hambo' has travelled to Australia, although he spent last winter in Johannesburg, South Africa, with Hampshire coach Jimmy Cook.

After last season's success with the first team, particularly in the one-day game, Hambo is looking to get stronger and fitter than before.

Hopefully a bit of extra strength and flexibility will add a touch more pace to a man with a prodigious ability to swing the ball, and a fantastic eye when batting.

His three innings opening the batting last season really showed his potential as an all-rounder, and three months under the watchful eye of Paul Terry will surely be of huge benefit.

During my time back in the England, I caught up with a few of the other Hampshire players.

Both Derek Kenway and Chris Tremlett are looking fit, and if they carry on at their current rate with the National Academy, then they can both be confident of bumper seasons.

Jimmy Adams and John Francis are attending Loughborough University, a fine institution with an excellent reputation for cricket.

In fact, the university has recently become one of the six `Centre's of Excellence' for student cricketer's, so the boys will be starting their own regimes, in between studies, to prepare for the upcoming season.

Giles White and Will Kendall are both working away from the game of cricket, but will get a bit of pre-season practise when they go to Kenya on the MCC Tour in a couple of months.

This tour is being captained by Will, and will no doubt be a fantastic experience, and a great deal of fun.

So, back in Perth, the numbers on the scheme are up even further as we embark on our second term. Several lads have come out for a three-month period, and this takes our `Aus-Team' total to 16.

Joe Tucker and Matthew Bulbeck are here from Somerset, and `Tucks' is playing with me at Perth CC.

Ian Painter and David Coverdale are from Northants, Andy McGarry from Essex, and Kabir Ali from Worcestershire.

With this amount of players, we could almost field an Aussie Rules Football side!

This may not be particularly beneficial to our health, though, having seen a couple of the local games live, there are some big blokes kicking around in a game which looks half the time like an all-in ruck!

If we get a bit of practise in, though, we might offer them a game a bit later in the season - but probably a non-contact version!

© Southern Daily Echo